Ulster-Scots Agency

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will place in the Library of the House the minutes of their meetings with the Ulster-Scots Agency concerning the setting of the 2003 budget, together with appropriate letters and emails.

Baroness Amos: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave on 23 April 2004 (WA 63).

Downing Street Receptions: Guest Lists

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who was on the guest list supplied by the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for a reception in 10 Downing Street on 11 May 2004; and on what basis the list was compiled.

Baroness Amos: In accordance with Part 2 Paragraph 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, on privacy of an individual, it would be inappropriate to list the names of those on the guest list.
	The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure was asked to provide a list of 30 names plus 20 reserves for attendance at a reception to celebrate the UK's cultural sectors and in particular the relationship between national and regional arts organisations.

Iraq: Civilian Deaths and Injuries

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq has access to hospital records detailing Iraqi civilian deaths and injuries and their causes during the occupation of Iraq.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Coalition Provisional Authority advisers to the Iraqi Ministry of Health (MoH) do have access to some figures on civilian deaths. However these statistics are not reliable, as Iraqis often bury their deceased relatives without official notification/registration. This has been particularly true during periods of heightened conflict. The MoH does not therefore have accurate figures for civilian deaths or their causes for the past year. The MoH is gradually re-establishing standard practices and procedures, although these are basic. In the longer term the Iraqi Interim Government may be able to evaluate the causes of civilian deaths and injuries.

Iraq: Unlawful Killings

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are taking all reasonable steps to bring to justice Iraqis and other foreign nationals responsible for unlawful killings in the United Kingdom zone of Iraq.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The coalition continues to pursue and aims to bring to justice all those involved in unlawful killings in Iraq.
	We are also working with the Iraqi judicial and police sectors to strengthen Iraqi capacity to combat crime and prosecute criminals. Iraqi civilians and foreign nationals not working for the coalition are subject to the Iraqi criminal code. Of the 487 prisoners currently detained in Basra, over 100 have been convicted, including some convictions for murder.
	We are making steady progress in training the Iraqi police service in methods for gaining evidence to pursue prosecutions that meet international standards. We are also working on increasing the capacity of the Iraqi judiciary to pursue investigations.

Iraq: Museums and Archaeological Sites

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures the Coalition Provisional Authority is planning to ensure the security of the Iraqi National Museum in Baghdad and other museums and archaeological sites in Iraq after 30 June; and whether they will ensure that the provisional and the elected government have means to prevent a recurrence of the archaeological looting which took place after the Coalition Provisional Authority occupation of Baghdad.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) believes that the security measures that have been instituted in the course of the past year at the Iraq Museum, Baghdad, will suffice to protect it in the months ahead. Security upgrades have been undertaken in the Mosul Museum. No other archaeological museums now contain original objects.
	Archaeological site looting is still a very serious problem, especially in the south of Iraq. At present the coalition does not have the resources to guard archaeological sites. The CPA and Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage are working together to build an archaeological site patrol force.

China: Provision of Weapons to Burma

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are discussing with China its provision of military weapons to Burma, in the light of internal repression and the persecution of minorities within Burma.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We regularly raise our concerns on Burma with the Chinese authorities but we have not recently raised the issue of the provision of military weapons to Burma with the Chinese.

Burma: Refugees

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask the Governments of Thailand, India and Bangladesh not to return Burmese citizens or residents to Burma, but to treat them as refugees entitled to protection.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We recognise the specific difficulties faced by Burmese refugees. Although Thailand, India and Bangladesh are not signatories of the 1951 Refugee Convention, they work closely with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide appropriate protection to refugees and to ensure their non-refoulement. We fully support the work of UNHCR and the Governments of Thailand, India and Bangladesh in protecting Burmese refugees.

Burma: Freedom of Religion

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will raise with the Government of Burma violations of religious liberty, including compulsory contributions by non-Buddhists to the construction of religious pagodas, the closure of Christian churches and the persecution of Muslims.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We are concerned about ethnic minority rights and the abuses suffered by ethnic groups in Burma which include Christians and Muslims.
	Despite a background of general religious tolerance in most areas, there remain instances of restriction of the right to exercise freedom of religion. We have condemned this in successive highly critical UK and EU co-sponsored UN resolutions most recently at the UN Commission on Human Rights on 21 April. This expressed grave concern at discrimination and persecution on the basis of religious or ethnic background.

Burma: Forced Labour

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the International Labour Organisation has so far taken to prevent the use of forced labour in Burma; and whether they will urge the International Labour Organisation to increase its efforts in this respect.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Burmese Government have still to address effectively the international community's concerns over the use of forced labour in Burma. We fully support the efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to end permanently the use of forced labour. Burma's general system of preferences trade privileges were suspended by the EC in 1997 in response to our concerns over forced labour in country. The EU has repeatedly condemned Burma's lack of progress on forced labour, most recently in March, at the ILO's meetings in Geneva. In June 2004, the ILO's governing body will give further consideration to the situation in Burma.

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who is responsible for collecting evidence of recent and current atrocities in Darfur, western Sudan, in order that alleged cases may be brought before the International Criminal Court.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Sudan is not a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), so the court could exercise jurisdiction only if Sudan lodged a declaration with the registrar of the ICC accepting the court's jurisdiction or if the situation is referred to the court by the Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.
	We, and our EU partner, have made clear that reported attacks against civilians should be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.
	We welcome the announcement by the Sudanense Government of the creation of a national independent human rights committee to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Darfur, with particular focus on the activities of the armed militias known as the Janjaweed. The UK's Special Representative for Sudan met the head of this committee in Khartoum on 17 May.

Sudan: Freedom of Religion

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they are discussing with the Government of the Sudan discrimination and persecution affecting Christians and Animists in and near Khartoum, including (a) discrimination in public service employment; (b) gender discrimination; (c) imprisonment for production or possession of alcohol; (d) refusal of visas for incoming Christians; (e) refusal of permission for new church buildings; (f) demolitions of existing churches and halls; (g) expulsions of missionaries; (h) corporal punishment for Christians failing to observe Islamic dress conventions; and (i) pressure on Christians to convert to Islam.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: We are concerned about the human rights of all in Sudan regardless of their ethnic or religious background. We do make regular representations to the Sudanese Government, both bilaterally and through the EU-Sudan dialogue, about the treatment of minority groups.
	Discrimination against Christians in Sudan tends to present itself in bureaucratic obstruction. Cases of harassment of Christian religious leaders have been reported, though these often appear to focus on political rather than religious activities. The case for "persecution" against a particular religious group is however less clear: southerners of all religions have suffered from mistreatment, while many thousands of Christians worship freely.
	Religious freedom is, however, an important issue, and the applicability of Sharia to the national capital is currently being discussed at the peace talks in Naivasha, Kenya.

GCHQ Research Institute

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the works to be undertaken at the research institute which is to be established by Government Communications Headquarters in conjunction with Bristol University will be security classfied as a whole or whether this issue will be decided on a case by case basis.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The new institute will be linked to a theoretical research programme into key areas of mathematics of interest to GCHQ, most of which will be classified.

European Union Constitutional Treaty

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean said on 11 May that the draft European Union Constitutional Treaty "will for the first time give this Parliament a power at European Union level to enforce subsidiarity" (Official Report col. 242) when the draft treaty allows the European Commission to override the wishes of national parliaments in the matter of subsidiarity.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The subsidiarity mechanism in the draft constitutional treaty forces the European Commission to reconsider any legislative proposal which one-third of national parliaments consider breaches the principle of subsidiarity. In practice this will make it very difficult for the European Commission to ignore the strongly held wishes of one-third of national parliaments—or indeed for the Council of Ministers to do so if it later came to consider the legislative proposal.

Zimbabwe: England Cricket Tour

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why, in view of constant abuse of human rights in Zimbabwe and the breakdown of law and order, they remain of the view that there is no threat to the security of English cricketers touring Zimbabwe this year.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The Government have not come to any view as to how the security situation will be in Zimbabwe in November. But Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Culture, Media and Sport officials have been in close touch with the England and Wales Cricket Board over this tour, including the security aspects. The FCO's travel advice on Zimbabwe is publicly available on the FCO website www.fco.gov.uk and subject to constant review.

Cyprus: Legal Points of Entry

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will define "legal points of entry" in respect of the island of Cyprus; and whether United Kingdom citizens and members of the Turkish Cypriot community living or travelling into or through ports or airports in Northern Cyprus are liable to restrictions at Green Line crossings.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: It is not for the British Government to define "legal points of entry" to Cyprus.
	On 28 April the EU agreed a new regulation setting out arrangements for movement across the so-called Green Line. The regulation established special rules concerning the crossing of goods, services and persons.
	The regulation states, inter alia, that "it is necessary to enable EU citizens to exercise their rights of free movement within the EU and set the minimum rules for carrying out checks on persons at the line and to ensure the effective surveillance of it, in order to combat the illegal immigration of third country nationals as well as any threat to public security and public policy. It is also necessary to define the conditions under which third country nationals are allowed to cross the line".
	As long as it is consistent with the provisions of the Green Line regulation (set out above), and allows all EU citizens including Turkish Cypriots to exercise their rights of free movement, it is a matter for the Cypriot authorities to decide what checks and controls they put in place regarding movement across the line.

Roma Children

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the alleged remarks of the head of the European Union delegation to Slovakia made on the day of Slovakia's accession that compulsory separation of Roma children from their parents should be practised, so that they would fit better into the dominant society.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Her Majesty's Government of course do not condone the compulsory separation of children from their parents for educational reasons. However, I welcome the continued debate on how to improve the educational possibilities for Roma children, who live in some of the most marginalised communities in Europe.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to support projects across Europe through its Global Opportunities Fund, in co-operation with both governments and NGOs, including initiatives which promote social inclusion and education for children from minority groups such as Roma.

Iraq: Red Cross Report

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what date the International Committee of the Red Cross February interim report to Ambassador Bremer on the coalition facilities in Iraq was passed to the United Kingdom.

Lord Bach: A copy of the International Committee of the Red Cross's report on the treatment by the coalition forces of prisoners of war and other protected persons by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq during arrest, internment and interrogation, dated 10 February 2004, was passed by an official working for the Coalition Provisional Authority to the offices of Sir Jeremy Greenstock and the senior British military representative in Iraq on 12 February.

Iraq: Red Cross Report

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the International Committee of the Red Cross February interim report to Ambassador Bremer on coalition facilities in Iraq reached the United Kingdom Government via military or diplomatic channels; and whether the report was also made available to other coalition partners.

Lord Bach: The International Committee of the Red Cross's report on the treatment by the coalition forces of prisoners of war and other protected persons by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq during arrest, internment and interrogation, dated 10 February 2004, was formally passed to Ambassador Bremer and Lt Gen Sanchez on 26 February. An advance copy was passed by an official working for the Coalition Provisional Authority to the offices of Sir Jeremy Greenstock and the senior British military representative in Iraq on 12 February. The latter passed a copy of the report to Headquarters Multi-national Division (South East) on 13 February and to the permanent joint headquarters on 16 February, and posted a copy to the Ministry of Defence that arrived on 27 February. The Ministry of Defence did not pass a copy of the report to any other coalition partners.

Iraq: Red Cross Report

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have set up an internal inquiry to establish the reasons for the decision not to make Ministers aware of the contents of the International Committee of the Red Cross February interim report to Ambassador Bremer on coalition facilities in Iraq; and whether they will publish the findings of any such inquiry.

Lord Bach: Ministers were made aware of the issues contained in the International Committee of the Red Cross interim report relating to United Kingdom armed forces, five months before they were made aware of the report. Ministers subsequently received an explanation of the handling of the full report. A formal internal inquiry has not been established.

Iraq: Fallujah

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Iraqi senior officers, formerly members of the army under Saddam Hussein but now in charge of Iraqi troops reoccupying Fallujah, have been required to give undertakings to coalition senior commanders about the standards of behaviour to be observed towards prisoners and the population of Fallujah by Iraqi troops acting on behalf of the coalition.

Lord Bach: Fallujah is outside the United Kingdom area of operations. Arrangements are therefore a matter for the United States.

Gulf War 1990–91: Vaccines

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any allowance is made in assessing war pension claims from troops involved in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict, who are now presenting medically unexplained illnesses, for the Ministry of Defence's decision to plan the timing of their anthrax immunisation differently from that in the marketing authorisation and to give those troops fewer immunisations than were recommended.

Lord Bach: Under the rules of the war pension scheme, a pension may be awarded where, in the light of the facts of the individual case and of generally accepted scientific and medical understanding, there is a reasonable doubt that disablement is due to service in the Armed Forces. All proposed causal links are considered.

Defence Industry

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What technologies in the defence industry are considered to be critical to national security or imperative for defence capability.

Lord Bach: The Government's defence industrial policy, published in October 2002, is aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of the UK defence industry, while continuing to provide the Armed Forces with high quality equipment at best value for money. There are a very small number of capabilities which for national security reasons we place a high priority on retaining within the United Kingdom industrial base. Examples exist in the fields of nuclear technology, defence against biological, chemical and radiological warfare, and some counter-terrorist capabilities.

Aircraft Carriers

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the planned two new aircraft carriers will be designed to use the conventionally launched variant of the joint strike fighter if the manufacture of the short take-off and landing variant does not proceed.

Lord Bach: As announced on 30 September 2002, the two new aircraft carriers will be configured to operate the short take-off vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the joint strike fighter. The vessels will, however, be constructed to an innovative and adaptable design which will allow us, if required in the future, to modify the vessels from their STOVL configuration to facilitate conventional flight operations, such as for aircraft requiring catapult launch and arrested recovery.

Universities: Funding

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the average fee, adjusted for inflation, paid to universities by overseas students for each year from 1992 to 2004.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The figures available are for the years 1994–2003. Data for 2003–04 are unavailable as the academic session has not yet concluded. The average tuition fee adjusted for inflation, in 2002–03 prices, for the years 1994–2003 paid to universities in England by overseas students (from outside the EU) based on data from HESA is as follows:
	
		£
		
			 Year Average fee 
			 1994–95 6,264 
			 1995–96 5,955 
			 1996–97 6,443 
			 1997–98 6,569 
			 1998–99 6,529 
			 1999–2000 6,421 
			 2000–01 6,426 
			 2001–02 6,687 
			 2002–03 6,665

Universities: Funding

Baroness Seccombe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the average funding, adjusted for inflation, per university student paid to universities from public funds for each year from 1992 to 2004.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Figures for funding per student in higher education in England are published annually in the Department for Education and Skills departmental report, copies of which are in the Library of the House. The latest report was published in April this year and shows planned public funding per student from 1998–99 to 2005–06.

Higher Education: Doctorates

Baroness Greengross: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any policies or guidelines regarding upper age limits for a person starting a doctorate degree; and whether government funding arrangements for doctorate degrees have an impact on the financial status of higher education institutions which accept older doctorate students.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Policies for selecting doctoral students are for individual higher education institutions to decide. Doctoral students can apply, in competition, for support from the research councils or the Arts and Humanities Research Board: neither the councils nor the board sets an upper age limit for support.
	Government funding to higher education institutions for the teaching of post-graduates and for research does not take account of the age of students.

School Sport Partnerships

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of pupils in schools outside school sport partnerships receive two hours of high quality physical education and school sport (a) within the curriculum; and (b) outside the curriculum.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The information requested is not collected centrally.

School Sport Partnerships

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What advice was given to schools regarding the inclusion of pupils' travel and changing times when responding to the first question in the physical education, school sport and club links survey booklet on the total curriculum time that all pupils spend taking part in physical education in a typical week.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The guidance that accompanied the PE, school sport and club links survey 2003–04 advised schools that "curriculum time" was the total time provided for PE lessons during the school day. This included changing time but not travelling time.

School Sport Partnerships

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the quality of physical education lessons in the report The Impact of School Sport Partnerships.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer given to his question number HL 1918 on 23 March, Official Report, col. 2004 (WA 89.)

Drug Treatment and Testing Orders

Lord Adebowale: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their policy on building on best court practice in the management of the court review process for drug treatment and testing orders; and what are the findings of the results of the pilots in three court areas in England set up to evaluate good practice approaches.

Lord Filkin: The policy is to build on best court practice being piloted at Bristol and the Wirral magistrates' courts, based on procedures already in operation at Nottingham magistrates' court, by extending these procedures to all magistrates' courts where there is a suitable workload this year.
	The findings of the pilot so far are that the magistrates on the specialist panels are confident of the effectiveness of their training and in the effectiveness of drug treatment and testing orders, and of the improvement which has been achieved in their dealing with defendants in the review process. The evaluation of statistical data from the pilot will not be undertaken until after the first anniversary of its commencement in July 2004.

Electoral Roll

Lord Rogan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Filkin on 10 May (WA 5), concerning the number of people excluded from the electoral roll since 1997, why this information is not collected; and whether they have plans to collect this information in future.

Lord Filkin: The electoral register is compiled afresh each year. Effectively all electors are deleted from the register annually unless they make a further application to be included. The reasons for ineligibility are well established and we are not aware of any particular problems relating to exclusion from the register in Great Britain. We have therefore seen no need to collect this information. The position in Northern Ireland, where individual (rather than household) registration has been introduced, is slightly different and I understand that the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland has written to the noble Lord about this.

Electoral Roll

Lord Rogan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will invite the Electoral Commission to investigate the reasons for current and previous exclusions from the electoral roll.

Lord Filkin: I understand that the Electoral Commission is conducting research into registration issues, aiming principally to establish the reasons for under-registration and which specific groups of people may be more likely than others to fail to register. The noble Lord may wish to write to the Electoral Commission's chairman for further details.

Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights to have regard not only to the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998 but also to the other international human rights treaties by which the United Kingdom is bound.

Lord Filkin: Yes. Paragraph 3.13 of the White Paper Fairness for all: A New Commission for Equality and Human Rights published on 12 May 2004 (Cmd 6185), makes clear our view that the proposed commission should promote public awareness and understanding of human rights, including those arising from the international agreements on human rights to which the UK is signatory.

Human Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Statement by the Lord Filkin on 13 May (HL Deb, col. 444), whether they intend the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights to use its statutory powers in relation to human rights functions by reference not only to the Human Rights Act 1998 but also the additional fundamental rights protected by the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Lord Filkin: We intend that the enforcement powers of the proposed commission should be linked to those human rights which Parliament has determined should have binding effect in domestic law.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, when considering human rights issues, they give priority to group human rights or to individual human rights.

Lord Filkin: The Convention rights, set out in the Human Rights Act 1998, specify the circumstances in which the fundamental rights of the individual may be limited or qualified according to the rights of others, the interests of the wider community and national interests. It is the Government's policy that rights should be approached in this balanced manner.

Pregnancy: Exposure to Toxic Chemicals

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have funded any studies into pregnancy outcomes when an expectant mother has been exposed to toxic chemicals other than the study monitoring for teratological hazards associated with chemical exposure in the United Kingdom, prepared by the National Teratological Information Service for the Health and Safety Executive; and why funding for this study was discontinued.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: Yes. The Health and Safety Executive has funded the following relevant research studies:
	9434/R51.097—Lead exposure; transfer of lead in pregnancy and lactation;
	3430/R51.106—Teratological hazards associated with chemical exposure;
	Spontaneous abortion in the UK semiconductor industry: An HSE investigation. Am J Ind Med 36.557-572;
	Spontaneous abortion in dry cleaning workers potentially exposed to perchlorethylene. Occup Environ Med 54:848-853.
	Arrangements are being made to place the reports in the Library of the House.
	Following consultation with the Department of Health and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, these departments have not funded relevant research.
	Turning to the discontinuation of the contract with the National Teratology Information Service (NTIS), following data collection for six years, the HSE considered that continuation would not assist it in developing its policy in this area. For this reason, along with a review of HSE's research strategy, the contract was not renewed further.

Sulphuric Acid

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In how many of the 47 incidents cited in the Advisory Committee on Pesticides' paper on risks to bystanders from the desiccation of potato haulms with 77 per cent sulphuric acid, involving exposure to sulphuric acid investigated by the Health and Safety Executive, was 24 hours notice given to those individuals living within 25 metres of the boundary of the treated land; whether the operators posted notices correctly to warn people to stay out of the treated area for 96 hours; and in how many instances this information was not recorded by the Health and Safety Executive.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: During the period 1 April 1993 to 31 March 2003, 47 incidents (complaints) concerning allegations of ill health from exposure to sulphuric acid had been received and investigated by HSE's Field Operations Directorate.
	The complaints were predominantly raised by members of the public, typically passers-by or local residents, but included a number of occupationally related incidents raised by spray operators and other workers.
	The conditions of approval for the use of sulphuric acid as a pesticide in relation to period of notice and exclusion of unprotected individuals were not relevant to every incident.
	In eight of the 22 incidents involving the owners/residents of properties within 25 metres of the land being treated, prior written notification had been provided by users. In 12 of the incidents, prior written notification had not been provided. In the remaining two incidents, the information was not accurately recorded.
	In 10 of the 15 incidents involving members of the public alleging various failures to comply with good application practice, adequate warning notices had been posted in footpaths/at points of access to or adjacent to the treated crop. In three of the incidents, adequate warning notices had not been posted. In one incident the information was not accurately recorded and the remaining incident related to alleged exposures over a period of time rather than to any identifiable, specific application/treatment.
	Of the remining incidents, three concerned passing road users, three occupational exposure and in the remaining four incidents, the status of the complainant and the relevance of the conditions of approval was not clear from the investigation report.

Government Efficiency Review

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the latest estimate of savings that could be achieved by government departments as shown by Sir Peter Gershon's efficiency review.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: I refer the noble Baroness to the announcement the Chancellor made in his Budget statment that:
	". . . Departments are to achieve—in the Spending Review period—annual efficiency savings of 2.5 per cent a year, boosting effective front line service delivery by £20 billion a year by 2008."

Government Efficiency Review

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What role, if any, Sir Peter Gershon plays in relation to the efficiency review now that he is no longer the chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Sir Peter Gershon remains head of the efficiency review. The Budget announced that John Oughton, the new chief executive of the Office of Government Commerce, will be responsible for overall implementation of agreed efficiency programmes.

Immigration: Effect on Economic Growth

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the basis, including the immigration assumption and the method of its calculation, for the Treasury assessment referred to by the Prime Minister in his speech to the Confederation of British Industry on 27 April, that the United Kingdom's economic growth rate would be some 0.5 per cent lower for the next two years if net immigration were to cease.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The basis of the Prime Minister's statement that "economic growth would be almost ½ per cent lower over the next two years if net migration were to cease" lies in the Treasury's trend growth assessment, as explained in recent Pre-Budget and Budget Reports and the paper Trend Growth: Recent Developments and Prospects, HM Treasury, April 2002, published alongside Budget 2002. Net inward migration contributes to economic growth by adding to the population of working age and hence labour supply. Treasury assumptions about growth in the population of working age are informed by recent data and Government Actuary's Department projections. Latest data for net inward migration show that it contributed 0.4 percentage points to growth in the population of working age betwen 2001 and 2002.

Personal Remittances

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the flow of personal remittances to and from the United Kingdom in each of the past five years; and which countries were the main sources or recipients.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from the National Statistician, Len Cook, dated 28 May 2004.
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the flow of personal remittances to and from the United Kingdom in each of the past five years, and the countries which were the main sources or recipients (HL2952).
	Personal remittances to the UK are included within the figures for Other Receipts of Households, as published in Table 5.1 (Credits) of the 2003 UK Balance of Payments "Pink Book".
	Personal remittances from the UK are included within Other Payments by Households, as published in Table 5.1 (Debits) of the 2003 Pink Book.
	The figures for both receipts and payments include estimates for non-profit institutions serving households as well as for households themselves. The published figures are as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			 Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
			 Other Receipts of 
			 Households (FKIL) 2,633 2,730 2,653 2,689 2,698 
			 Other Payments by 
			 Households (FKIQ) 2,906 2,975 3,236 3,364 3,541 
		
	
	Figures for 2003 will be published in the 2004 Pink Book dataset on 30 June. A breakdown by country is not available.

Job Vacancies

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many job vacancies were recorded in the United Kingdom in April for each of the past seven years; and what, for the last month available, is the breakdown of vacancies by region and skill.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from the Director of Macroeconomics and Labour Market at the Office for National Statistics, Colin Mowl, dated 28 May 2004.
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about job vacancies in the United Kingdom. I am replying in his absence (HL2954).
	The following table shows the numbers of vacancies in April of each year since 2001 according the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Vacancy Survey. There are no earlier comparable figures, because the survey did not start until April 2001.
	
		Number of job vacancies -- United Kingdom, 2002–04 (April of each year) not seasonally adjusted
		
			 Year Number of vacancies 
			 2001 660,300 
			 2002 594,300 
			 2003 564,500 
			 2004 603,500 
		
	
	Source: ONS Vacancy Survey
	Earlier figures from April 1997, shown below, are available in respect of vacancies notified to Jobcentres in Great Britain but these represent only a proportion of all the vacancies available. Corresponding figures are not available for Northern Ireland to provide United Kingdom totals for these dates.
	
		Number of unfilled vacancies at Jobcentres -- Great Britain, 1997–2001 (April of each year), not seasonally adjusted
		
			 Year Number of unfilled vacancies 
			 1997 265,900 
			 1998 270,100 
			 1999 274,900 
			 2000 332,500 
			 2001 362,500 
		
	
	Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system
	Jobcentre vacancy statistics were withdrawn from National Statistics in September 2001 as a result of distortions to the data, which occurred following the introduction of new administrative procedures by Jobcentre Plus. Comparable figures for later than April 2001 are therefore unavailable.
	Results from the ONS Vacancy Survey were released as National Statistics from July 2003, but are not available by region or skill. The attached table shows the number of unfilled vacancies at Jobcentres by broad occupational group and Government Office Region in Great Britain for October 2000, the latest date for which such analysis is published. However, please note that unfilled Jobcentre vacancies may not be representative of all job vacancies across the labour market.
	
		Table 1: Number of unfilled vacancies at Jobcentres by occupation -- Government Office Regions in Great Britain, October 2000 (not seasonally adjusted)
		
			  Occupations* 
			 Government Office Region Managers/Administrators Professional Associate/Professional Technical Clerical/Secretarial Craft/Related Personal/ProtectiveService Sales Plant/MachineOperatives Other Total 
			 East Midlands 933 277 746 3,097 2,406 5,592 4,757 3,287 4,278 25,368 
			 Eastern 1,044 419 801 3,595 2,650 5,672 4,656 3,320 5,357 27,514 
			 London 2,268 658 1,011 6,854 3,280 9,081 6,788 3,977 7,394 41,311 
			 North East 949 316 941 3,479 1,840 4,760 5,721 2,319 3,583 23,908 
			 North West 1,816 659 1,852 8,555 3,990 11,285 9,032 4,751 8,655 50,595 
			 Scotland 1,797 857 3,094 6,957 3,838 9,847 9,055 4,919 8,645 49,009 
			 South East 2,538 631 1,398 6,248 4,360 10,829 11,345 4,331 9,945 51,625 
			 South West 1,691 578 1,218 4,865 3,495 9,213 7,453 3,516 7,561 39,590 
			 Wales 804 450 1,186 2,819 1,640 4,976 3,468 1,881 3,152 20,376 
			 West Midlands 1,782 602 1,360 6,226 3,575 7,917 9,572 5,483 6,840 43,357 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 1,254 565 1,506 6,464 3,727 7,593 8,141 4,730 6,814 40,794  
			 Great Britain 16,876 6,012 15,113 59,159 34,801 86,765 79,988 42,514 72,219 413,447 
		
	
	*Standard Occupational Classification 1990, Major groups

Meat: Illegal Imports

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What has been the impact of the four dedicated national strike teams for illegal meat announced in March 2003; what is their size; and what strategy is in place to facilitate communication between them, other customs staff and port health authorities; and
	How many seizures of illegal meat were made at international airports in 2003; and
	How many prosecutions there have been in 2003 following the seizure of illegal meats.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: All HM Customs and Excise detection staff include products of animal origin in their frontier responsibilities. Their strike force detection teams are part of Customs' wider strategy to deter and detect illegal products of animal origin from entering the UK. These four new teams have increased Customs' ability to deploy in larger numbers, less predictably and with greater impact. This means that the numbers tackling a particular threat are not static but are regularly reviewed against the latest assessments of risk.
	There are national communication systems in place to enable strike force teams to give and receive briefings and share information with local Customs staff, who are primarily responsible for communications with port health staff in each location.
	The total number of seizures of products of animal origin from air travellers arriving in the UK by all agencies in 2003 was 11,360. In addition Customs made a number of seizures in freight and postal traffic that had originally entered the UK by air. In their spring report (Cm 6224) Customs reported 9,571 seizures in total in the period 1 April–31 December 2003.
	Customs did not identify any cases suitable for prosecution during 2003, although two smugglers have been convicted in 2004. Information regarding prosecutions by other agencies is not held centrally.

Playing Fields

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the "loopholes in the legislation protecting playing fields" referred to in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport annual report 2004; and what steps are being taken to close the loopholes.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The following areas of playing fields regulation have been identified for possible further consideration:
	(1) Scope: The types of planning applications on which Sport England consults are broader than those relating to the Town and Country Planning Direction 1998.
	(2) Time-frame: Sport England consults on planning applications for any land used as a playing field in the preceding five years; whereas the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 applies to those used in the past 10 years.
	(3) Size: Sport England consults on any planning applications for playing pitches of 0.4 hectares or more in size, whereas the Department for Education and Skills defines a pitch as being 0.2 hectares or more.
	The Government are currently looking at the issue relating to the size of playing fields but would like to see further evidence before considering any changes in regard to the scope or time-frame of consultations.

Sport England

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In which areas of its modernisation programme Sport England has made savings during the past five years, as reported in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport annual report 2004; and
	In which departments administrative savings to the value of £12 million a year have been made through the modernisation of Sport England, as reported in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport autumn performance report in January; and
	What is the reason for the difference in administrative savings reported at Sport England in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport autumn performance report in January and the Department's annual report 2004.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The original estimate that £12 million of savings would accrue from reductions in staffing and back office costs, which appeared in the department's autumn performance report, was revised to £40 million of savings over the next five years in the department's annual report 2004 as a result of a new estimate of staffing and back office savings provided to the department by Sport England in February this year.

Sport: High Performance Funding

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why they have not reached their target, as recommended by Game Plan, of simplifying by summer 2003 which sports receive high performance funding at a devolved level; and which at a United Kingdom level.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The target was not achieved as it is being taken forward as part of a wider review of UK sport as set out at Recommendation 5.3(a) of the recently published First Game Plan Delivery Report: April 2004.

International Sport Federations

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which British postholders in positions of influence within international sports federations are financially supported by UK Sport; what each postholder receives; and which governing body each postholder represents.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: I am arranging for a list of the names, positions and organisations of the senior post holders supported by UK Sport to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The international representatives' grant aid programme (IRGAP), operated by UK Sport, was set up to assist international postholders with the travel and subsistence costs they incur while attending scheduled meetings of their international federations. Standard estimates for the costs of travel to, and subsistence within, a country are the basis of grant calculations for the grant that postholders receive. Senior postholders will receive between 75-100 per cent of the estimated costs of any particular trip as a grant, depending on the priority. A grant (G) is calculated according to the following formula: G = P ["T + D + (S x N)" - "C + K"], where travel costs are (T), the distance rate (From £0–£100) depending on which part of the UK the journey starts (D), the daily subsistence rate (S), the number of days a meeting lasts (N), cash subsidies provided by the international federation (C), accommodation or in-kind assistance provided by the host (K), the grant allocation percentage determined by UK Sport (P).
	It should be noted that a significant number of international representatives do not receive grants because their international federations and/or meeting hosts subsidise all the travel and subsistence costs either in cash or in kind. In those instances, the individual is not eligible for IRGAP grants.

Iraq: Costs of Military Action and Reconstruction

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps the Treasury is taking to "effectively manage the financial consequences of military action in Iraq, "as stated on page 3 of its annual report (Cm 6222); and
	What steps the Treasury is taking to "effectively manage the financial consequences of reconstruction in Iraq, "as stated on page 3 its Annual Report (Cm 6222).

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As set out in the Budget, the Government's latest projections for the public finances take into account the expected financial consequences of the UK's involvement in Iraq.
	The Treasury regularly scrutinises costs to ensure that spending on the operations in Iraq is both efficient and cost effective.
	UK contributions to Iraq reconstruction, totalling £544 million over three years from April 2003, are being funded through reprioritisation of existing budgets. The UK's commitment to increase aid to the world's poorest countries is not affected.

Employment Tribunals

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of their annual resources for 2002–03 and 2003–04 were expended by the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission in supporting individual complainants in cases before the employment tribunals; and how much was spent by each body; and
	What amounts of money have been earmarked in 2004–05 by the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission to provide representation for individual complainants in cases before the employment tribunals.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The actual expenditure by the three commissions (including staff costs) in supporting individual complainants in cases before employment tribunals were:
	
		
			  Commission forRacial Equality EqualOpportunitiesCommission Disability RightsCommission 
			 2002–03 £685,882—represents 3.4 per cent of annual grant-in-aid £333,000—represents 4.7 per cent of annual grant-in-aid £794,370 1 —covers all discrimination cases as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act—represents 6 per cent of annual grant-in-aid 
			 2003–04 £461,492—represents 2.3 per cent of annual grant-in-aid £373,000—represents 4.5 per cent of annual grant-in-aid £837,647 1 —covers all discrimination cases as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act—represents 5.7 per cent of annual grant-in-aid. 
		
	
	The amounts identified for 2004–05 are as follows:
	
		
			  Commission forRacial Equality EqualOpportunitiesCommission Disability RightsCommission 
			 2004–05 £400,000—represents 2 per cent of annual grant-in-aid £260,000—represents 3.1 per cent of overall grant-in-aid £850,000 1 —covers all discrimination cases as defined in the Disability Discrimination Act—represents 5.5 per cent of annual grant-in-aid 
		
	
	1 No specific amount of money is ring-fenced for providing representation for individiual cases before employment tribunals. These figures do not include the cost of support given via the DRC's helpline and casework services.

Wind Power

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether a wind power electricity generating company has any duty to provide electricity generating capacity in the event of there being no wind.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Under the current energy market, there are strong incentives on generators to deliver the power they are contracted to deliver. Wind generators are no different from any other generators in that they have to enter into contracts in the knowledge that their capacity may or may not be available at any given time. Since, by its nature, wind power is intermittent, wind generators have to deal with intermittency, but similarly other generators will seek to enter into contracts that cover them in the event that their plant is unavailable, for example because a technical problem suddenly occurs.

Wind Power

Lord Dixon-Smith: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the event that back-up electricity generating capacity is required due to failure to supply electricity by a wind power generating company resulting from a lack of wind, who is responsible for paying the climate change levy resulting from any carbon dioxide emissions consequent on that failure.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: There will be no climate change levy due consequent on a short-term failure of supply from a wind power generating company. The wind power generator will, however, be required to ensure that, over time, the amount of levy-free electricity claimed by its customers is equal to the amount of wind power-derived electricity delivered to the grid.

Nuclear Safeguards Act 2000

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why it has taken four years to bring into force the Nuclear Safeguards Act 2000 through the Nuclear Safeguards Act (Commencment No. 1) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1242).

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Nuclear Safeguards Act 2000 is the domestic legislation that implements the additional protocol to the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement. The member states of the European Union agreed that all of the additional protocols applicable to them should enter into force at the same time. This required all of the then 15 member states and the European Commission to notify the IAEA that their statutory and/or constitutional requirements for implementation were in place. The final notification required was given to the IAEA on 30 April 2004, and the commencement order for the Act was made the same day.

NHS Trusts: Finances

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What they estimate to be the amount of borrowing by National Health Service foundation trusts from non-government sources during 2004–05.

Lord Warner: There is unlikely to be any borrowing by National Health Service foundation trusts from non-government sources during 2004–05 for capital investment purposes although there may be some for working capital. However, this is a matter for the Office of the Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts.

Skin Conditions

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether medical students receive any compulsory training at undergraduate or postgraduate level on skin cancer diagnosis and treatment; and
	How many days of compulsory undergraduate or postgraduate training general practitioners receive on skin diseases.

Lord Warner: Individual higher education institutions determine their own undergraduate medical curriculum in the light of recommendations from the General Medical Council's (GMC's) education committee, which has the statutory responsibility to determine the extent of knowledge and skill required for the granting of primary medical qualifications in the United Kingdom.
	The content and standard of postgraduate medical training is the responsibility of the UK competent authorities, the Specialist Training Authority for specialist medicine and, for general practice, the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice. Their role is that of custodians of quality standards in postgraduate medical education and practice. They are independent of the Department of Health. In addition, the GMC's education committee has the general function of promoting high standards of medical education and co-ordinating all stages of medical education to ensure that students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice.

Skin Conditions

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether general practitioner trainers are assessed for competence in dermatology; and
	What training is available for general practitioners to improve their diagnosis and treatment of pre-cancerous and cancerous skin tumours.

Lord Warner: The Government do not specify the content of the general practitioner training curriculum. This is the job of the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice, which is the competent authority for general practice training in the United Kingdom. The JCPTGP is an independent professional body, and it is required by Section 9(3) of the Vocational Training Regulations 1997 to determine and publish the curriculum to be followed by a GP registrar (that is a trainee GP).
	The regulations do specify seven competencies which must be tested, and which the curriculum must therefore teach:
	factual medical knowledge sufficient to enable the doctor to perform the duties of a GP;
	the ability to apply factual medical knowledge to the management of problems presented by patients in general practice;
	effective communication, both orally and in writing;
	the ability to consult satisfactorily with general practice patients;
	the ability to review and critically analyse the practitioner's own working practices and to manage any necessary changes appropriately;
	clinical skills; and
	the ability to synthesise all of the above competencies and apply them appropriately in a general practice setting.
	GPs are therefore expected to learn in training the skills needed to deal with all their patients.